1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to smoke filters and more particularly to a free-standing, smoke and fume filtering device for use in connection with indoor grills and rotisseries.
2. Description of the Related Art
Outdoor charcoal or gas barbecuing is a popular method of cooking and preparing various foods such as meats, poultry, fish and vegetables and manufacturers have enjoyed great commercial success providing outdoor barbecues and accessories in the United States and elsewhere. Part of the popularity of outdoor barbecuing can be attributed to the unique blend of smell, flavor and look the briquettes convey to the meat, fish, and/or vegetables which is often referred to as xe2x80x9cbarbecuexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9csmokexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ccharcoalxe2x80x9d flavor. However, due to the obvious safety concerns of burning briquettes indoors, barbecuing has typically been recognized as an outdoor cooking activity.
Recently, however, manufacturers have been looking for ways to manufacture grills for barbecuing indoors which imitate the various cooking advantages of outdoor barbecues, e.g., the smell, taste and look of barbecued food. For example, electric indoor barbecues provide one method of safely barbecuing indoors and some of these designs include electric hotplates with grill-like surfaces for conveying a grill-like look to the food and for allowing the fat/grease to drip from the food onto the heating element to flavor and/or xe2x80x9csmokexe2x80x9d the food.
However, since the amount of dripping fat differs among various food types, e.g., chicken versus sausage, the amount of smoke emanating from the heating elements is often difficult to control which can quickly spoil the charm of indoor barbeque grilling. Moreover and especially with indoor grilling, the smoke and/or fumes emanating off the heating elements should be filtered prior to introduction into the surrounding area. As a result and due to the convenience of other cooking methods and appliances such as ovens and stoves which offer a wider range of cooking options, e.g., baking, broiling, frying, etc., indoor barbecuing is not commonplace.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,801 to Holland discloses an outdoor barbecue unit which includes a replaceable filtration element for removing contaminants from the smoke as the smoke exits a smoke exhaust cylinder mounted atop the barbecue hood. U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,903 to Kim discloses a table mounted cooker which includes a filter which removes contaminants from the smoke exhaust as the smoke exhaust is drawn through a chimney or ventilation system. Movement of the filter relative to the cooking surface is limited to removal of the filter from the unit, i.e., the filter is not positionable relative to the cooking surface.
As can be appreciated, these units are somewhat complicated and may not be suitable for ordinary indoor use. Moreover, separate ventilation systems or exhaust connections may be required which, again, are typically not suitable for ordinary indoor use. Thus, there exists a need to develop a simple, smoke filtering system which can be easily and readily adapted for use with a variety of indoor grills.
The present disclosure relates to a stand-alone filtering apparatus for use during indoor barbecuing which includes a base configured for the reception of a heating assembly, e.g., a grill plate and/or a rotisserie. Preferably, the filter unit is selectively positionable in a vertical direction relative to the base and includes a filtering element for removing contaminants from a medium, e.g., smoke or fumes, as the smoke and fumes pass therethrough. The filter unit also includes a ventilation system configured to draw the smoke and contaminants through the filtering element prior to dispersing the exhaust into the surrounding environment. The filtering element is preferably selectively removable for cleaning and/or replacement purposes.
In one embodiment, the base includes a post which extends upwardly therefrom and the filter unit includes a sleeve which telescopically engages to the post. A pair of opposing locking tabs may be associated with the post or the sleeve to allow a user to selectively position the filter unit in a desired vertical position relative to the base. Preferably, the filter unit includes a hinge which permits pivotable movement of the filter unit relative to the base. The base and post may also be connected by a hinge or pivot element to allow the base to pivot relative to the post for storage purposes.
In another embodiment, the base includes a frame-like support rack which is configured to support the grill and/or the rotisserie below the filter unit. Preferably, the filter unit includes a motor which operates at least one fan for creating an air flow to draw the smoke and contaminants through the filtering element prior to dispersing the same into the surrounding atmosphere. The motor may include a switch to regulate the speed of the fan and the resulting air flow of the smoke and contaminants through the filtering element.